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Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) warned on Thursday that the statements by NATO allies France and Greece based on "certain scenarios" were "increasing tensions and risking damage to regional peace and stability."
The ministry issued a formal statement following its weekly press briefing, saying that plans to deploy French troops to the Greek Cyprus Administration (GCA) raised questions about what "concrete security need" they were based on. The statement warned that such steps risked "disrupting the existing delicate balance and escalating tension."
"Statements regarding Türkiye's regional role and its position within the European security architecture are incompatible with the principles of alliance law and solidarity," the Turkish MoND noted, adding that proclamations by France and Greece based on certain scenarios are increasing tension and carry the risk of damaging regional peace and stability."
"We remind that any military alliance being formed against Türkiye in the region has no chance of success. As our minister has previously stated, those who side with Türkiye will win, not those who stand against it, in every situation involving security and stability in the period ahead," the ministry stated.
On reports of a planned French military deployment to the GCA in the south of the island, the ministry said: "The security and stability arrangements for the island of Cyprus have been determined by international agreements, and Türkiye is one of the guarantor powers."
"While it remains unclear what concrete security need underlies the statements regarding the deployment of French troops to Greek Cyprus, such initiatives carry the risk of disrupting the existing delicate balance and escalating tension," the Turkish MoND noted.
"We once again state that such initiatives could also create future security risks for the GCA and that steps that could damage regional stability must be avoided," the ministry added.
The ministry also addressed the Israeli interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, saying the intervention in international waters was "a clear violation of international law" that targeted not only humanitarian values but also "navigation security in international waters."
It said Türkiye, as the country with the longest coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, was "closely and sensitively monitoring" developments and that "all necessary measures are being taken within the framework of humanitarian aid and support, as we have done before."
The Turkish delegation at the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) that Israeli forces have detained 20 Turkish nationals after intercepting the fleet in international waters more than 600 nautical miles from Gaza, a few miles off Greek territorial waters.
Israeli forces surrounded the boats off the coast of the Greek island of Crete late Wednesday and carried out a raid, detaining more than 170 activists on board, the Turkish delegation told AA.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, aims to break Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor by sea.
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